What is a liquid lunch?

Liquid lunch

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

A liquid lunch is a relatively commonly used slang phrase in the English language. A lot of people will say they are having a liquid lunch when, instead of eating salads, sandwiches or hamburgers, they do nothing but drink beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages for lunch!

People don’t tend to have a liquid lunch in a business setting… if you’re working, it is generally frowned upon to drink alcoholic beverages during your lunch hour (though if you’re going out to a special celebratory lunch it might be okay to have a drink with your meal). Usually it is college students, workers with the afternoon off, or people with alcohol problems who might have a liquid lunch.

I must admit, I’m not a big fan of liquid lunches… having the occasional drink with your meal is one thing, but having nothing but alcoholic beverages for lunch is a little too much for me!

Tailgate

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

A tailgate is a place where you might have a liquid lunch! A tailgate is a party that takes place before going to see a sporting event (usually American football) in the parking lot of the stadium where the game is to take place. People will park their cars and bring out coolers full of beer and salty snacks, listen to music, and meet up with their friends before the game.

Breakfast of champions

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

While we’re on the subject of liquid lunches, there is another term that you might hear in English: Breakfast of Champions. This term refers to people drinking alcoholic beverages for breakfast! This is not something that people do very often, though it’s been known to happen. Maybe during Spring Break, when college students get a week’s vacation from classes and head to the beach?

Hair of the dog that bit you

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If you’re drinking beer at breakfast, you might be drinking the hair of the dog that bit you, often shortened to hair of the dog. This phrase is used when people have a hangover after having drunk too many alcoholic beverages the previous night. Hair of the dog that bit you means that if you drink more alcohol in the morning after you wake up, your hangover will go away. It’s generally not a very good idea to drink hair of the dog – it’s better to drink lots of water to help cure your hangover! I’ve also heard that a banana milkshake with honey is a healthy and tasty way to get rid of a hangover.